Toxic Soils and Forest Decline in Central Europe

Funded by the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) - Laxenburg, Austria and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

In Central Europe, soils have become contaminated with metals (aluminum, arsonic, cadmium, lead, and beryllium) as a result of dry deposition of atmospheric contaminants. These contaminants resulted from the reliance upon soft, brown coal with a very high sulphur content (5-10% by weight), and the emissions of sulfur dioxide, acidic gases and particles, and toxic metals. The region of southern Poland, northern Chezchoslovakia, and southeastern Germany are especially affected, and the area has become known as the "Black Triangle" as a result of its pollution problems. Air Pollution in the region has many deleterious effects including human health (chronic asthma, bronchitis, emphysema), water pollution, food contamination, and forest decline. One of the potential long-term legacies of this air pollution is the toxicity of soils due to the build-up of metals and acidic pollutants. It is the objective of this research to understand the fate and transport of these pollutants in the soil, and to predict recovery times for when the soils will support forests and agriculture without concern.

TOPICS:

Black Triangle Region and Coal Industry

Impacts on Forests

Predicting Recovery